Yes, we know - the Daleks are barely in Bad Wolf, but given that it's the first part of a two-parter that very much includes them, it qualifies. At the time, we were all so psyched about the Daleks getting to appear in the 2005 series beyond Rob Shearman's excellent Dalek, we could not have cared less that the surprise was spoiled by the Next Week promo at the end of Boom Town. (OK, we did care, but we were still happy.) It's quite an appearance, too, one which sets the tone for the post-Time War Doctor's interactions with the Daleks. While he always considered the Daleks a threat, the Doctor in the classic series never really displayed the sheer hatred of them, with a side of healthy fear, that Christopher Eccleston provides us with here. The Daleks themselves, splendidly redesigned for a new millennium, are just as impressive - and there's a proper Dalek Emperor on top of it all, too! The only real thing that keeps this one from being higher on the list are the remaining questions it leaves us with: why would the Daleks remake themselves using the losers of TV game shows? Just because the losers wouldn't be missed if everyone thought they were dead? Why not harvest the best of the best instead? No wonder they came down with such a bad case of religion. Or insanity. We'll also never find out exactly how Earth recovers from being bombed into oblivion, or how the Doctor knows to leave Jack behind. Also, those flashes back to Rose's time, on later viewings, are more distracting than necessary to the story. But overall, this one is a satisfying outing for the pepperpots.
Tony Whitt has previously written TV, DVD, and comic reviews for CINESCAPE, NOW PLAYING, and iF MAGAZINE. His weekly COMICSCAPE columns from the early 2000s can still be found archived on Mania.com. He has also written a book of gay-themed short stories titled CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS, available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle format. Whitt currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.
